Trust
by Everto
Summary: Twelve-year-old Miharu, is kidnapped from her native plane by the power-hungry Hiroyoshi, who brings the young school-girl to his own plane. Through sinister twists and turns, he gains her trust, introducing her to his world and... (Full Summary Inside)
1. Prologue

**Trust**

Introduction  
Where do you get your inspiration from? A quote? A person? A thought? 

A staircase?

Yes, believe it or not, this story was spawned from a staircase. We use them everyday - you probably don't even think about them at all. I don't either...except for that one day. I was climbing to my next class on the third floor in my high school. My mind wandered, as it tends to whenever I have free time, and I focused on the stairs below me. _Step. Step. Step._ One after the other, after another, after another...until you reached your destination

But what if you never made it? We always assume that the next stair will always, without a doubt, be there to support us. And it has. But what if one day...it just wasn't?

I got to my class all in one piece, but a tad late due to my dazed musings. I sat down, arranged my books in a way that hid me from the teacher's eye, and shut her lecture out. Instead of the lesson, I focused on my new idea.

And so, I give you my story.

Summary: A girl, Miharu, is kidnapped from her native plane by the power-hungry Hiroyoshi, who brings the young school-girl to his own plane. Through sinister twists and turns, he gains her trust, introducing her to his world and her powers. But then, as Miharu is exposed to the Reikai Tantei and the truth, she begins to wonder just who she should be trusting...  
This Chapter's Rating: PG  
Warnings: None for now  
Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Yu Yu Hakusho or its characters.  
Claimer: I created Miharu, Ms. Senti, and Miharu's father from my own mind. Any kind mimicry of other characters from outside sources is entirely coincidental and accidental.

This is regular narration.  
"This is talking."  
'_This is thinking._'_  
-- These are song lyrics. Currently playing is "Hello" by Evanescence --_

**+ Prologue +**

_-- Playground school bell rings, again__  
Rain clouds come to play, again --_

That was the first mistake of her new life, unconsciously putting all her trust into that next step.

Because they always do come one after the other in a continual, mundane truth. It's expected to the point where she, like everyone else, didn't even think about it anymore. It's just always been that steps come one right after another, and that they will support your weight, help you onto the next stair and what lies beyond. For twelve-year-old Miharu, what lay beyond was her next class, science, which she was about to be late for.

But what if one day...the next step wasn't there to support her? She subconsciously relied on that firm foothold being there to help her on her way. But this one day it was entirely different. Not only because it was in reality the first day of her previously mentioned new life. No, it was also the day that the next stair simply...wasn't there.

Miharu faithfully stepped her right foot over left, her colossal science book clutched tightly into the nook of her arm and bulging shoulder-bag draped diagonally across her moderate frame. Internally, she was cursing her lack of speed and the late bell, which was bound to ring any second now.

_'This is the third time, and I doubt Ms. Senti will take the 'jammed locker' excuse again...even if my locker_ does_ hate me and _has_ vowed to make my life hell...'_ she thought grumpily to herself as she trudged her way up the last flight of the three staircases she had just ascended. '_No, it's not my locker's fault, or even Ms. Senti's. It's that stupid father of mine. He doesn't even care enough about me to send me to a decent school where lockers aren't hell-bent on making students late for class._'

The signature low tone finally sounded, earning a defeated groan from one unlucky school girl making her way to class now late. _'Crap! She'll give me two days of after-school detention, if I'm lucky. If I'm not...then I'm probably looking at one or two Saturday detentions,'_ Miharu mused to herself. _'But it's not as if I have anything planned for Satur-DAAAAY!'_ Her thoughts immediately dispersed the moment she realized that instead of the familiar concrete step, her foot had met with..._nothing._ A dry half cry, half gasp, was wrenched from her throat as she found herself falling fast into a dark unknown.

**+ End Prologue +  
**

Okay, prologue's out. Sound interesting yet? Well, maybe not yet, but I have some good ideas for this story. You'll see.

The Reikai Tantei (Spirit Detectives, for you newbies :huggles newbies:) have an interesting role at first, too. You'll see them briefly next chapter. Speaking of next chapter, I hold no promises for a quick update. I'm in the middle of writing it. See you then...


	2. Hello Nightmare

**Trust**

Summary: A girl, Miharu, is kidnapped from her native plane by the power-hungry Hiroyoshi, who brings the young school girl to his own plane. Through sinister twists and turns, he gains her trust, introducing her to his world and her powers. But then, as Miharu is exposed to the Reikai Tantei and the truth, she begins to wonder just who she should be trusting...  
Rating: R  
Warnings: Extreme violence, torture, language, attempted rape, gore, and descriptiveness  
Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Yu Yu Hakusho or its characters; I also do not own Evanescence, nor their song lyrics.  
Claimer: I created Miharu, Miharu's father, Vox, and Ms. Senti from my own mind. Any kind mimicry of other characters from any outside sources is entirely coincidental and accidental. 

This is regular narration. "This is talking."  
'_This is thinking._'_  
-- These are song lyrics. Currently playing is "Hello", by Evanescence --  
_

**+ Chapter 1: Hello Nightmare +**

_-- Has no one told you, she's not breathing? --_

Seconds later, the school girl was landing in any way save gracefully. She lay dazed, on her side, crushed into the worn carpeting by the momentum of her fall.

A hurt moan arose from her lips as she surveyed the damage done. Wiggled fingers, then toes, proved nothing was broken or paralyzed; it just felt like everything was bruised. Sitting back on her palms, she looked up. A dark gray ceiling met her, one that didn't look like anything could just slip through it like she just had. And her school's staircases didn't just disappear like that. What had happened?

Her eyes slid from the ceiling to the room around her, taking in her shabby environment room. A dilapidated faucet above a rusted drain; faint mold growing on the cracked walls; the make-shift bed of a slim foam mattress scantily covered by two small sheets; she was currently prisoner to a stranger.

A shiver shook itself through her, rattling her already jarred bones. 'I_t feels so strange in here. I don't like this place...whatever it is.._' The unnatural quiet of the room was unnerving; it reminded her of when she was younger and would build snow forts in the wintertime. The room she now occupied was as silent as the interior of a snow fort...except they usually exerted the contagious feeling of happiness and welcoming. This place felt so negative and lost. 

_-- Hello, I'm your mind__  
Giving you someone to talk to --_

Miharu heaved herself up into a sitting position, knees locked to her chest by her arms that were wrapped around them. Just like a snow fort, the room was also chilling temperature-wise. '_Just like a snow fort..._' she comforted herself, gently rocking herself back and forth, '_I'm just in a snow fort..._'

Thus was the scene he walked in to find: Miharu rocking back and forth, eyes glazed and staring straight ahead, still trying to convince herself through barely audible mumbles that she could exit her snow fort at any time. The man merely chuckled to himself. "So it's a snow fort you want..."

He closed his eyes and outstretched his arms. Soon enough, he observed as she put out a hesitant hand, no doubt feeling the snow around her in the illusion he had just created. A contented smile crossed her face and her eyes opened, surveying her hallucination. He entered her field of vision when he stepped closer 

_-- Hello --_

The school girl shakily rose to her feet, bending in an awkward bow. "H-Hello?" she called out timidly, then louder. "Hello? Who are you? Do you know where I am?" The flow of questions came un-stoppered from her mind through her mouth, only ceasing when the man held up a hand to silence her.

"Miharu, I - "

"And how...do you know my name?" Miharu interrupted curiously, eyeing him with an apologetically wondering expression.

In response, the man waved his hands, therefore vanishing the 'snow' and causing Miharu to look around in awed caution. "How...?"

The man took a step toward her, a threatening red glint briefly lighting his dark grey eyes. "No more questions," he growled. Miharu closed her mouth, nodding thrice. "I am called Vox, and you are in my domain. That is all you need to know."

Miharu watched the man before her fearfully, not moving or making a sound, merely awaiting his next words or movements. Vox nodded curtly, seemingly to himself, and quickly lost his menacing demeanor with the entrance of a soft smile. The gesture seemed disturbingly foreign to his face however, an island of attempted welcome lost in a sea of harshness. It did little to comfort Miharu.

"Follow me and touch nothing," he instructed, turning quickly on his heel and out a door Miharu had failed to notice before. As she passed it, she recognized several locks on the exterior of the frame. Who ever used this room obviously wanted what was kept inside to _stay_ inside.

The doorway deposited them in a hallway, one they traveled down. Up two more of those pesky flights of stairs, across what reminded Miharu of a ball room from a fantasy tale, and through a couple more hallways was where Vox led Miharu. He halted before a heavy wood door inlaid with an attractive woodwork design. The tarnished silver door knob melted perfectly into the design, which Miharu realized was of a repulsive beast with an apple in its mouth. Her heart became suddenly heavy for no reason, and she took it as a sign that she didn't want to know what was on the other side of the door. Before she could voice any worries to Vox, however, he swung the door open. Beyond the creaking, un-oiled hinges was a scene nothing could have prepared Miharu for.

The room looked like something out of a twisted horror movie. The smell of blood and something rotting dominated the room to an almost overpowering degree. All kinds of torturing devices were set up, each designed for a particularly painful experience one would not soon forget - that is to say, if one made it out of the room alive.

'_What...is this place...?_' A factor that made the equipment even more barbaric in nature was that blood - new and dried - was still splattered everywhere, including on the random bones littering the floor. _'Human bones!'_

Miharu balked in the doorway, eyes captivated by the sight of humanity's darkest indulgence. A hand landed on her shoulder. Miharu jumped, gasping sharply in the process, and turned to meet the owner of the firm grip - Vox. He kept his expression stoic, eyes forward and away from hers. She found herself being propelled forward by the vice-like grip he held her in. '_Wow, his hands are warm,_' she thought to herself. _**'Too **warm,_' she whimpered inwardly, the great heat radiating off Vox's hand scalding her with his prolonged grip.

The two had walked just past the center of the room when a blood-curdling shriek echoed across its walls. Miharu stopped in her tracks, goose bumps pricking her skin and the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She whirled to face the way she had just came, which was where the scream had come from, moving so fast that she unconsciously wrenched herself from Vox's grip. She might have thought about the temporary relief of the extra pressure and heat from her shoulder, but the grisly scene before her made her mind go blank with shock and horror.

Miharu stood, mouth agape, and watched as a group of what appeared to be people stood around one of the contraptions. One of them moved aside, giving the school girl a view of what was so interesting: A tri-horned creature strapped down, arms bound above it. The torture part, Miharu quickly realized, was the crank currently being pulled, which in turn pulled a wheel, which in turn pulled at the ropes binding the creature's hands, which in turn was slowly pulling the creature's arms out of its sockets.

Miharu's hands balled into fists at her sides. "Stop it!" she cried, taking an indignant step towards the commotion. The people hovering around the torture glanced at her, and the school girl swallowed hard, thoughts at what they would do to her flying through here head, all painful and severely inhumane.

But instead of advancing towards her or uttering cries of anger or even a shouting 'Shut up!', they just..._laughed_. At her and her distress. The one closest to the crank causing the torture gave it a quick yank, causing the creature to yelp loudly. It echoed around the room. She was too focused on holding back tears from falling to hear the angered growl emitted by Vox, who stood behind her. "You monsters! Did you hear me? I said - "

Miharu was cut off when Vox's bony fingers wrapped around her neck like five warriors preying on a disobedient foe. He wrenched her backwards to a rough stop uncomfortably close to his body so that she could feel the unnatural heat radiating off of him. "Stop," he said in a harsh whisper, his warm voice on her ear giving her an unpleasant shiver, "Or I'll give them you to play with next." She nodded quickly, not saying another word or meeting his eyes, and was ushered obligingly out of the room.

_-- If I smile and don't believe  
Soon I know I'll wake from this dream --_

Though she was not saying anything aloud on their little trek, she was screaming inside. What she had just seen defied everything she had been taught: People - or, at least, what _appeared _to be people - were allowed to torture a defenseless creature. Just the fact that people **wanted **to do that was unbelievable! And then, when someone tried to stop them, to do what was right...they _laughed _at her. That was what made her the angriest: They didn't acknowledge her anger. In fact, it was as if they were further enticed by her fury at them.

But she was also mad at herself because, in a way, the creature suffered more because of her intervention. One thing was for sure, she would definitely have trouble stopping that scream of incomprehensible pain from echoing inside her head.

And yet there was another emotion present amidst the torrent of anger: Fear. In the short time she had known the man who called himself Vox, he had made it clear that his patience was thin and his temper was not to be crossed. With a sinking feeling of dread, Miharu realized she had both tried his patience and made him angry with her.

The school girl glanced at the male leading her, having been freed from his fiery grip. He certainly wasn't much to look at. His dark blond hair was short enough to stay out of his face, but long enough to become a mess of tangles if not taken care of properly (which is seemingly what had happened). His beady dark grey eyes viewed the world with a mercantile stare and the way he carried himself seemed official, like he was someone important. The business suit he wore was a lighter shade of his eyes, but made his already pale complexion seem more pallid, like sour milk.

She quickly ceased surveying Vox when he glanced sharply at her, as if he had felt her eyes on him. Miharu didn't dare to look anywhere else but at her feet. Which, she noticed with a start, were only covered with socks! _'What happened to my shoes? I _know _I put my shoes on this morning. How could I have gone to school without them?'_ Her eyes caught sight of her red and blue pajama pants, the frayed cuffs hanging around her ankles. She had actually grown out of them a year ago, but her father didn't have any money to spare for new ones that fit properly. _'But why would I be in my pajamas? I changed into my school uniform this morning. I know I did!'_

"What are you fussing over?" Vox asked in an annoyed, impatient tone. He had stopped walking, causing her to stop as well. He was now peering down at Miharu, who was gaping incredulously at her clothing.

"I...I changed this morning," Miharu said shakily. The abrupt change of her world was beginning to take its toll on her. "I know I did," she continued on, her voice cracking. "What happened to my clothes?" She sniffed, looking to Vox for any kind of answer. A couple tears were released from the well behind her eyes, running down the sides of her face.

The aforementioned man stood rigidly and said coldly, "Tears are useless here. Crying is a weak and disgusting habit." His eyes held nothing human.

Though she tried to bite it back, a sob escaped her lips. More tears ran down her face.

With a resounding _smack_, five red fingerprints appeared on Miharu's cheek. The girl crumpled to the floor clutching her face, hair splayed over her face, now whimpering in pain and unmasked fear. Vox uttered a sound of disgust and nudged her none to gently with the tip of his foot. "If you don't stop crying, you'll be dead by morning!" The malicious glint in his eye guaranteed his threat would be carried out - and that he would greatly enjoy doing so.

There was a tense pause. "Get up," he ordered, straightening up to stand over her.

She only trembled, biting her bottom lip so that no sound would escape. Tears streamed from her eyes as silently as the afternoon sun streamed into the hallway through a nearby window.

"Get. Up." His voice was strained, the words spit through clenched teeth.

_'I can't move...oh god, I can't move...'_

"Get _up_, dammit!" Vox exclaimed, grabbing a section of hair near her head and yanking her up. He looked her straight in the eye. "I tolerated your questions and your disobedience in the torture room. I'll give you a real reason to cry! You _will_ obey me," he shouted.

_-- Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken --_

She was half dragged to a forlorn door in the corner of the hallway. Vox thrust it open, shoving her inside. She blindly stumbled over her own feet, the pain throbbing forcefully from her scalp enough to block out the receding pain in her cheek. There was only a few second's pause in which Miharu caught a fleeting glimpse of fire shooting from Vox's palm, igniting a small light in the dark, windowless room. The flames greedily ate the oil awaiting them, shadows dancing about the room.

The next second, Vox turned to her. He stalked toward her, the deadly glow of the flames enhancing his exterior to a chilling degree. The school girl involuntarily whimpered aloud again, eyes searching the room for any means of escape. "Please..." she moaned out pitifully, not even sure of what she was begging of him. She didn't know quite what he had in store for her, but she knew it would hurt - a lot. Her legs moved of their own accord, steering her away from the on-coming danger. She bumped into something large and soft, whirling around to find a canopy bed. All the sheets and hangings bathed in the flickering glow to make them appear different shades of crimson. Her head was spinning.

She was about to turn back to face him, but a pair of hands grabbed her, pushing her forcefully onto the bed. Vox straddled her stomach painfully, crushing her small body under his. She desperately clawed at his legs, chest, arms, anything she could reach, to escape - or at least breathe easily again. Vox only growled loudly and held her wrists above her head, chaining them to the bed's frame. She was able to take one gasping breath before Vox had shoved his mouth against hers, immediately plunging his tongue in to assault Miharu's.

She was only twelve. Kisses such as these only existed, to her, in hushed conversations between her and some of her friends. They'd sometimes daydream about how their first real kiss would be like, all scenarios romantic and juvenile. But none of them had ever even contemplated their first kiss could be with a terrifying stranger, who made no romantic advances whatsoever - someone who, instead, made it as un-romantic as possible.

Miharu's mind had gone blank with shock at what was happening to her. When she regained her senses, she could feel something calloused and warm slip clumsily under her pajama top, heading straight for her underdeveloped chest. She squeaked loudly against his lips when he made contact, her eyes going wide.

_'This is not happening. This is not happening. I'm having a nightmare. I'm not here. This is not happening...'_ she told herself, forcing her eyes to shut tightly and block out the feeling of Vox in her mouth and on her breast.

_'I'm not here. I'm not here. I'm not here.'_ It became a mantra in her head, and she focused everything she had on becoming totally unresponsive to Vox, numb to her situation.

_-- Hello, I'm the lie  
Living for you so you can hide --_

And suddenly...she was free. She could breathe easily, was no longer being crushed by Vox. In fact, she was standing. She let herself stand in that place for a moment, reveling in her liberation. All at once, smells and sounds overflowed her senses, causing her to take an involuntary step backwards. She slowly opened her eyes, letting them slowly adjust to the sunlight that bathed the sidewalk she occupied. People busily brushed past her, not stopping to notice the young girl or question why she was in her pajamas and not in school. Inside she was secretly grateful for this; how would she respond?

Vox was not in sight. Miharu breathed a sigh of relief. It was as if she was waking up from a nightmare, the gentle hustle and bustle of the street comforting her stressed nerves. She let a short laugh escape her lips. _'It was all just a dream!'_ she thought excitedly. '_Just a scary, stupid dream. Now...where am I?'_

A booming voice caused the school girl to start. "What's that supposed to mean?" it shouted.

The voice belonged to a tall, orange-haired boy who had just turned onto her street. He was talking to his shorter, black-haired companion, who had undoubtedly insulted him. The black-haired one just brushed him off with a nonchalant shrug. The brown-haired girl next to them just shook her head, telling them quietly that they were beginning to cause a scene. Indeed they were, for at the tall boy's outburst some of the pedestrians had glanced unapprovingly at him. The orange-haired boy muttered a quick, "Sorry," to the street. The girl said something Miharu could only hear as murmurs, then waved and was off. The two boys were left walking.

Miharu watched them with interest. They were each wearing what looked to be a school uniform, though the taller boy's was blue and the black-haired one's was green. Perhaps they were from different schools?

"Hey, Kuwabara, what time is it? Didn't we tell Kurama we'd meet him by four?" the boy with the green uniform asked, the two stopping for a moment.

"Yeah. When I left school the clock said three fifty," Kuwabara said.

"How long ago was that?"

"Ah, I don't know," the taller boy admitted, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

The shorter boy reached up to playfully punch his companion's head, muttering, "Idiot."

Kuwabara just _hmph_'ed and surveyed the street. When his eyes swept past Miharu she looked into them, keeping his gaze with her own. Kuwabara's face showed concealed confusion, his eyebrows slightly drawn together and his mouth slightly agape. He nudged the black-haired boy, who followed Kuwabara's eyes.

Miharu turned as casually as she could manage and began to walk farther down the street, away from the two boys. She didn't want to attract any attention, she just wanted...she wanted...

_'I want to go home,'_ she realized. Back to her father, her school, her friends, her life...

Miharu was distracted by the two boys shouting behind her: "Hey, you! Wait up!"

Certain no one would be calling to her on this foreign street, the school girl didn't stop. But suddenly, the voices were right behind her. "Hey, didn't you hear us?" Kuwabara's voice asked. The black-haired one appeared before her, blocking her path.

"I heard you," Miharu stated truthfully, eyes warily studying the boy before her, "I just didn't think you were talking to me. Who are you?"

Yusuke gave a cocky grin. "Urameshi Yusuke, toughest punk at Sarayashiki Junior High. This idiot over here's -"

"Kuwabara Kazuma, _second_ toughest punk at Sarayashiki!" Kuwabara interrupted hastily, moving to also stand before the school girl. He glared at Yusuke, crossing his arms over his chest and adding, "An' I'm no idiot, either!"

Miharu laughed nervously, an uncomfortable knot forming in her stomach. "I'm Takeuchi Miharu, student at Fujikane Junior High."

Yusuke gave her a curious look. "Fujikane? Where's that?"

The knot tightened. "I-It's here in Osaka - "

Yusuke looked taken aback, and Kuwabara cocked an eyebrow. "This ain't Osaka - we're in Tokyo! Did you hit your head or somethin'?"

Miharu's eyes darted between the two. It didn't look like they were joking...she really was in Tokyo. She felt like she was going to throw up. "...Tokyo?" she managed to say slowly. Her knees suddenly felt weak and she felt herself sway. She tried to steady herself, but had apparently lost control over her body for the time being.

A hand reached out to steady her, resting firmly on her shoulder. She looked up with the expression of a deer caught in a pair of headlights. Her mind flashed back to when Vox was leading her down that hallway, his grip authorative and dominating. Suddenly it was not a teenage boy with dark hair and startled caramel eyes that was looking back at her, but a leering, grey-eyed, pale Vox. His mouth twisted into a warped grin, mouthing something she couldn't understand. Tears flowed down her face while she desperately clawed his hand away.

_-- Don't cry --_

But then Vox was gone and it was Urameshi Yusuke, supposed tough punk of Sarayashiki Junior High, who was again in front of her. He held his arm against his chest, looking disbelievingly at his hand, where several scratches were gouged, deep and bleeding. Next to him, Kuwabara was slowly backing away from her.

Miharu looked through her tears to the two teens. "I'm - I'm sorry. I thought you were Vo- I thought you were someone else," was all the explanation she could give.

Yusuke answered angrily, "Yeah, well I feel sorry for whoever you thought I was! I was just trying to help! C'mon, Kuwabara." With that, he turned from her huddled form and stalked down the street. Kuwabara gave her one last, curious look before following his friend.

With the two boys gone, Miharu's tears came freely. She buried her head in her arms and sat on the sidewalk, her back leaning against the wall for support. A quick, biting self-hatred cast itself over her. She hadn't meant to hurt Yusuke - she could have sworn in that moment in time that Vox was there, and he was going to hurt her again. _'Stupid, stupid, stupid,'_ she chided herself. Yusuke's indignant cry echoed through her head: _"I was just trying to help!"_

She tried to calm herself down. Vox wasn't near her anymore, and what was done to Yusuke was done; all she could do about it was be sorry. She inhaled deeply, exhaling through a long sigh, and her tears reduced to a gentle weep.

But her temporary peace only lasted so long. A bright, unimaginably white light shone from seemingly inside her own eyelids. Miharu felt herself being moved, a strong wind teasing her hair. A mixture of panic and confusion made her stomach rose to greet her throat, threatening to throw itself into the air.

_-- Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping --_

The blinding light receded, the wind died, and her stomach retreated to its rightful place. The school girl cautiously opened her eyes to see what had happened. She tried to raise her arm to brush away a couple defiant strands of hair, but the cuffs Vox had placed around her wrists prevented most movement. A jolt of fear and panic exploded in her mind: She was back with Vox...back in the nightmare

The room was getting increasingly warmer, and Miharu could already feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She became suddenly aware of a burning pain between her legs. Her eyes shot open to meet the cold grey eyes and satisfied smirk of none other than Vox, whose face was uncomfortably close to her own. Perhaps it was the crimson glow enveloping the whole room, or perhaps he was not human, but his normally grey eyes were glowing a torrid red.

"Finally awake," he grunted between rushed breaths.

Miharu's heart felt like it had stopped, frozen in place, when she realized what he was doing. She jerked her head to the side, seeing and feeling his naked skin on her own, his thrusts, the blood... She couldn't take anymore and screwed her eyes shut, but couldn't help the tears that descended from her eyes.

He pulled himself from her, sliding off the bed while lazily pulling his pants back up. When he was done dressing, he patted her cheek. "Don't try that stunt again, Miharu," he warned in lethally low voice. He grabbed an object from somewhere nearby. "But since you did...allow me to give you a permanent reminder of why you should never cross me."

He brandished a short dagger at her, its blade glinting in the glow of the room, before wrapping his hand around the tip of it. The next second the edge of it was pressed into the inside of Miharu's forearm, the blade white-hot. A high-pitched scream wrenched itself from her throat, a feral cry that knew nothing but immense pain. Her hands involuntarily balled into fists as tears poured from her eyes without abandon. She thrashed about the bed, trying to get away, but the chains held her fast. Vox held her arm steady while he worked the blade in some sort of pattern.

He finally withdrew the dagger, standing back to see what was done. He offered a sound of satisfaction. "Now you'll always remember who showed you how weak you are," he said aloud.

But she couldn't bring herself to look. Her eyes were still squeezed tightly together in pain; her fists were still balled, her nails were digging into her palms. She couldn't focus on anything but the building, burning sensation in her forearm. A repugnant smell tickled her nose, increasing her unwillingness to look.

The man took her by the chin roughly, shoving her face up and to the left so she could see what he had done. "Look, Miharu," he said coaxingly, his sugary tone not enough to cover the malice. "Look!"

Afraid he might torture her again just to open her eyes, she opened her light brown eyes to see her arm. A grotesque, capital letter V was burned into her flesh. Her face contorted in horror and she switched her gaze to Vox. She was now forever scarred...branded for eternity to this insane creature.

When he caught her expression, the creature laughed. He turned, chuckling madly, to a side table that had been set up next to the bed. She couldn't see so far over as to what exactly lay on the table, but her suspicions were confirmed when he returned his attention to her, now holding a four-tailed whip. He slung it back over his shoulder and brought it forcefully in front of him, lashing the school girl in four places.

Angry welts appeared on her naked legs, arms, face, chest, and stomach as the creature continually whipped her. Each tormented cry that escaped Miharu's throat only seemed to add to Vox's frenzy. He brought the whip over her countless times until finally stopping, panting for breath. He finally replaced the whip back on the side table and picked up a key. Her chains were unlocked and her only wish was that she could work her legs to run away, or at least will any part of her body to move.

_-- Hello, I'm still here --_

All she could do was watch with scared eyes as he stood still at the side of the bed, arms folded over his chest.

"What's the matter, Miharu? I've freed you. Can't you escape?" he taunted through a mad smile.

She bit her bottom lip, tried to block out the pain, and willed her arms to lash out at Vox. Yet all her arms did were flop pathetically, earning a scornful laugh from the man at her side. He turned suddenly from her and walked over to the door, opening it wide. The light from the hallway bled into the crimson room, giving Miharu enough light to see the extent of her injuries.

Welts - so many, all over...bleeding...pain... .

She longed to swing her legs off the bed and dash past the madman to freedom, but _she couldn't move_! Tears of frustration leaked from the corners of her eyes and she whimpered softly. The door was slammed shut.

Vox was making his way back over to his prisoner. "You didn't even try, m'dear," he said almost sadly, close enough to her now that he stroked her hair back from her face. "But I understand. You just want to stay here with me, don't you?"

Miharu didn't have the time to think before words were pouring like acid from her mouth. "You bastard! I would **die** before willingly staying another second with a piece of shit like - !"

Vox didn't let her finish. "Then die you will!" he shouted before shoving her off the bed. She tumbled head first into the floor, then rolled sideways into something wooden and hard. The impact of her crash sent a somewhat large candle and its metal holder crashing down onto Miharu's crumpled form. Hot wax seeped onto her skin, molding itself into numerous welts and scratches. Miharu saw white for a full three seconds before that pain actually set in.

The girl howled loudly, rolling about on the floor crazily. By this time, Vox was behind her, watching her with amusement. She, however, was blind to his presence. The only thought on her mind was:

'_Escape...get out...door's right there.'_

She managed to flop onto her stomach and hoist herself an inch or so from the floor. Like that, she began to crawl towards the door.

Vox looked on, letting her get to the door. His grin grew wider as she shakily pulled herself up to her knees, using the doorknob to steady herself, and she tried to open the door.

_'Locked!'_ She let out a defeated cry. She let herself drop, just fall in a heap to the floor, where she sobbed. There was no way out.

Vox sighed deeply. He'd _told_ her about those annoying, useless tears. "Miharu," he said tersely. "Cut that out."

She couldn't hear him.

"Stop crying!" he said loudly, walking heavily toward her.

She could not hear him, and continued sobbing.

A swift kick was received by her gut. It was her reflex to curl into something similar to the fetal position and cough, a sticky, red substance coming from her throat. He kicked her again.

Then all she knew was black.

_-- All that's left of yesterday --_

**+ End of Chapter One +  
**

About Miharu's name, Takeuchi Miharu: In Japan, people's last names are said first. Also a little FYI: _Takeuchi_ is Yoshihiro Togashi's wife's last name (manga artist Naoko Takeuchi).

Hello, author here. I'm sorry about the length of the chapter, it might have deterred some people from actually finishing it...but to those who stuck with it, thank you! It's a bit long, yes, but it needed to be, in order for the story to start right.

I chose the song _Hello_ by Evanescence for a couple reasons. One, I'm a huge Evanescence fan. Two, the song is about understanding the concept of death at a young age, and it's about the death of someone young. In this beginning here, the school girl Miharu I first introduced you to metaphorically dies. She is replaced with a victim, a psychologically and physically damaged adult. It shall be interesting to see what happens next, no?

In the middle somewhat, Miharu is "freed" and finds herself in the middle of a street, where she meets Yusuke-kun and Kuwa-kun. How did she get there (and back to Vox)? What happened? Why? How? Huh?

XD

All in due time, dear readers. All in due time.


	3. Fear's Child

_+ Chapter dedication: To _**Hacker of Souls** _for graciously taking the time to review. I wasn't really expecting anyone to read this at all, so your review (and e-mail) came as a pleasant surprise. I'm sorry I didn't get this out sooner, but I simply haven't checked on the story in a while, so I do apologize. This one is for you, so enjoy+_

**  
Trust**

Summary: A girl, Miharu, is kidnapped from her native plane by the power-hungry Hiroyoshi, who brings the young school girl to his own plane. Through sinister twists and turns, he gains her trust, introducing her to his world and her powers. But then, as Miharu is exposed to the Reikai Tantei and the truth, she begins to wonder just who she should be trusting...  
Rating: PG-13/R  
Warnings: Vulgar intentions and only a little more torture and gore.  
Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Yu Yu Hakusho or its characters.  
Claimer: I created Fujikane Junior High, Miharu, Miharu's father, Vox, and all other unrecognized characters from my own mind. Any kind mimicry of other characters from any outside sources is entirely coincidental and accidental. 

This is regular narration.  
"This is talking."  
'_This is thinking._'_  
-- These are song lyrics. Nothing is currently playing because the author could not find a suitable song --_

**+ Chapter Two: Fear's Child +**

Fujikane Junior High: The epitome of junior highs everywhere. It was a school reputed for its clean appearance, amazing teaching staff, and wonderfully respective alumni. It was a facility that took in disobedient, unruly children and manufactured them into the mature, well-rounded adults of the future. It was a dream and honor to just walk through the hallways and observe the learning process.

A boy slammed shut his rusting locker, grinning hungrily at a girl strutting down the hallway in a skirt much shorter than regulation. He made a low whistle. "Hey, baby, was your daddy an animal? 'Cause I can _definitely_ see you on all fours!" The girl batted her mascara-laden eyes, giggling at the brown-eyed boy ogling her.

Yes, it was a _dream _working at Fujikane...the kind the dreamer would wake up screaming from, relieved that it wasn't real.

"All right you two, move along," said a stern male voice. The principal, Mr. Tenkai had just rounded the corner.

The girl giggled and blushed, quickly slipping into an adjacent hallway. The boy followed, watching her backside lustily. Mr. Tenkai watched them with a haggard sigh, then raised a hand to massage his temples.

_'How much longer?'_ he wondered, taking a glance at his watch. _'Half an hour, dammit. I wish this day would just end already... .'_

- - - -

Two stories and fifteen feet to the right was Ms. Senti's sixth grade science class. A thin, brown-haired woman stood front and center, striking a gentle but commanding pose. She was smiling.

"Now I'll take any questions about today's lesson," she announced. When no hands were raised, she made a noise of satisfaction to herself. "Okay then, now kindly stay seated while I'm taking attendance. You can talk softly amongst yourselves, but if it gets too loud I will revoke your free period tomorrow," she warned, then called out, "Seiki Tomoko."

"Here."

"Mamori Yuki."

"Here."

"Hideaki Sota."

"...Present!" he answered loudly, earning collective snickers from the room.

Ms. Senti just sighed, used to Sota's attention-grabbing antics, and checked him as present.

"Takeuchi Miharu."

No one answered.

Ms. Senti looked up at her class. "Miharu? Has anyone seen Miharu today?"

"Yes," Yuki spoke up. "She was in my third period class."

"Maybe she went home sick," someone suggested.

"Or maybe she's cutting!" Sota cried out, before adding with a smirk, "Oh no, I'm sorry. It must be her _locker_ again."

Tomoko rolled her eyes, flipping a piece of her wavy brown hair over her shoulder. "Shut up, Sota. You think you're so funny. All the lockers at this dumb school are like that. And Miharu wouldn't cut class," she said, defending her friend.

"Settle down, please," Ms. Senti broke in, cutting off the brewing argument. She couldn't help but feel uneasy about Miharu's absence, however. _'This isn't like her. Even if her locker was jammed she would have been here by now,'_ she thought to herself. Aloud she said, "Sota, would you please go check the infirmary to see if Miharu's there or has gone home?"

Sota groaned, slouching in his chair. "Aw, miss! Why me?"

Ms. Senti closed her eyes, as if trying to restrain herself. "Just go, please." Her eyes opened again, still their honey brown. "And the rest of you, please turn to last night's homework on page..."

Sota sauntered out the door, sighing. He walked down the hallway, glancing distastefully at the peeling gray walls, before turning into the stairwell. He stopped in his tracks, uttering a cry of surprise when he saw the crumpled form of a girl sprawled at the bottom of the steps.

- - - -

_'This waiting is torture,'_ thought Takeuchi Naota. He sat hunched over, leaning his elbows on his knees, focusing in and out of a curious brown stain on the worn carpet. This was the third time he had sat in this same waiting room, waiting on the edge of his seat for good news, bad news, _any_ news.

On his previous visit he had hoped never to have to return...but here he nervously sat once again. And being here brought back all the memories he had worked so hard at concealing and eliminating...being here opened the flood-gates. His wife had passed away here.

Takeuchi Hitori had woken up to terrible chest pains one night. Miharu was only two months old at the time, but Naota's mother-in-law came over right away to watch her. Naota drove to the hospital at once, where his wife was whisked away by doctors.

The doctors reported to him early the next morning that his wife had not survived the night. Due to "complications" that had arisen when she had given birth to Miharu, there was a build-up of this here and a blockage of that there, but Naota had barely heard them through the crushing weight of his grief.

And now he was back in the same waiting room, waiting on pins and needles for any word on his daughter. The hospital had contacted him at his workplace, a factory where he was paid to move car parts. All he knew was that his daughter had been involved in an accident in school and was taken here.

A stocky man of average build in a white lab jacket strode into the room. With his light brown hair and pale skin, Naota knew he was American. "Mr. Takeuchi?" Naota nodded. "Please come with me."

Naota rose, following the man into an elevator. The doctor turned to Miharu's father. "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I'm Dr. Morgan. Your daughter was brought in approximately an hour and a half ago from her school. She was found at the bottom of some stairs, so we assume she had fallen down them. She has suffered serious trauma to the head; her right leg is fractured in two places and several of her ribs are either bruised or broken. She's been in a coma since before she was brought here. Here we are."

While Dr. Morgan had been briefing Mr. Takeuchi on his daughter's condition, the elevator had reached the fourth floor. It was all Naota could do to follow the doctor around twisting hallways all lit by the same monotonous, white buzz of the florescent bulbs overhead. They stopped at the door labeled by a small plaque next to it as "416a" in white letters. "She's in here. Do you want to see her?"

"Yes," the answer jumped from Naota's throat, a choked sound. The doctor nodded, opening the door for the father, but did not go inside himself.

The florescent lights seemed to bleed light down upon the room Takeuchi Naota stepped into. The first thing he noticed were the many machines connected to his daughter. A steady, dull _"beep"_ counted her heartbeats as an IV dripped into her arm; other gray pieces of machinery were cluttered around her bed's side, recording who-knows-what.

He edged slowly toward the figure in the bed, color gone from his face. He removed his faded, blue factory hat from his head and clutched it in his left hand. With the other he gripped the back of a chair that had weaved its way through the wires and machines to sit, lonely, at the hospital bed's side. He finally brought himself to look at his daughter.

Her once lively, excited brown eyes were shut off from the world by her eye lids, leaving her to look asleep...so peaceful. The only clues to show that she was at Death's door were her unusually pale complexion and, of course, the eternally beeping machines.

A sound came from his throat. "Mi-Miharu... ." He didn't elaborate, instead bringing himself to the other side of the chair and sitting heavily. _'My daughter...my only daughter,'_ he thought numbly, taking in the damage done to her. Small bruises on her arm matched one large bruise on the cheek facing him. A brace encased her neck and wrapped around her right leg was a cast.

But still she slept so peacefully, it seemed. Naota couldn't help but wonder, did she know what was happening around her? Could she still hear, smell, feel? Or was she in a dream world, unaware of her current predicament?

Where was she?

- - - -

"Ow! Wanna watch what you're doin', Botan? Aaah! That stings!" Yusuke cried, pulling out of the blue-haired deity's grasp. He sat with her at the Kuwabara's kitchen table. The deity was examining the scratch given to him by Takeuchi Miharu, the strange girl they had met on the street.

Botan rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a baby, Yusuke. It's just peroxide. Now give me your hand back."

"You're such a sissy, Urameshi," chuckled Kuwabara, entering the room with a water bottle in his hand.

Yusuke pouted, but held out his hand again. Miharu's nails had gouged through three or four layers of skin, and the bleeding had only recently stopped. While Botan dabbed a cotton ball drenched in peroxide over the wound, Yusuke grit his teeth against the sting.

In the silence, Kuwabara asked, "D'you think that girl was with...what's-his-name, Hiroyuki?"

"Hiro_yoshi_, " corrected Botan. "And she very well could be."

It had all started about half a year from the Dark Tournament's end. Kurama had caught the first spy, a teenage boy, who had been inconspicuously following the group. Not even a month later, another spy, a teenage girl, was burned to a crisp by Hiei. After those first two incidents, the Tantei went to Koenma for information on who was sending the spies and what they wanted, only to find he had none to offer.

The next couple of months were frustrating. Paranoia made everyone jumpy. Koenma constantly reminded them to be patient, but to be on the lookout. They had all scared their share of unsuspecting humans before catching the next spy in the act. Unfortunately, the spy (this time a younger girl) was quick, and evaded them. They never saw that one again.

It was four months before they caught the next spy, a young teenage boy. They had gotten fleeting glimpses of him at Genkai's temple, Sarayashiki Junior High, and even once at Kurama's school before finally cornering him and bringing him to Genkai's for interrogation.

The boy, named Hojo, didn't offer much information, but gave the name Hiroyoshi as the demon sending all the spies. He also mentioned an unnamed castle, but no one was sure whether he was referring to Hiroyoshi's hideout or his original home. The boy refused to eat anything during his stay, however; it wasn't long before he had starved himself to death.

During the next four months, three spies were discovered and defeated, but they learned nothing new of their opponent. It had been one and a half years since the Dark Tournament. They were caught in a stalemate against an almost invisible opponent.

"She wasn't with him," Yusuke said suddenly.

"What makes you say that?" Botan asked, opening a box of bandages for Yusuke's hand.

Yusuke shrugged. "She was too scared. And confused. Remember? She thought we were in Osaka."

"Maybe she was just pretending, to throw us off or somethin'," Kuwabara offered.

Yusuke shook his head. "She tried to apologize after scratching me," he pointed out.

Kuwabara sighed. "I wish you hadn't scared her off, Urameshi. Even if she wasn't with Hiroyoshi, we could've helped her."

"What was I supposed to do? The little snot just up and scratched me!"

"You shouldn't have yelled at her, Yusuke. She was scared and confused," Botan chided.

"What d'you know? You weren't even there," Yusuke grumbled.

Botan ignored him. "All done!" she sang, releasing Yusuke's now bandaged hand.

The teen mumbled a thanks, then stood. "I'm off to the arcade. You coming, Kuwabara?"

- - - -

Vox knew exactly when the girl had gone unconscious, being the master of torture that he was. But that didn't make him stop. The only sound he could hear was his own blood pounding in his ears, quickened because of his activity; the only smell lingering in the air was that of bloodshed; the only thing he could see was the red marked body of the young girl he had been ordered to torture. No, those things didn't stop him...they only enticed him further.

_"Then die you will!"_ It was a promise Vox intended to see carried out. He left the girl's body and went to the bedside table, gazing at the assorted weapons amassed there.

A sharp rap at the door caught his attention. Eyes flashing a murderous red, Vox muttered a few choice curses under his breath and made his way to the door.

"What? Oh, hello, Hiroyoshi," Vox said, tone changing from annoyance to business when he realized who it was. Hiroyoshi was a couple inches taller than Vox and his hair was a dark brown, but they shared the same harsh gray eyes.

"Vox," Hiroyoshi said, nodding in greeting. He pushed past Vox and stood by Miharu's unconscious form. He turned and gave Vox a hard look. "You got carried away again," he reprimanded.

"You know how I get..." he said, laughing and wringing his hands together from nervousness. "For being so young, she had such a fire --"

Hiroyoshi interrupted Vox. "This will be enough. I need her now."

"But Hiroyoshi," Vox almost whined. "She needs more breaking in. She's not ready."

"She has to be," the taller man said. Then he asked, "Has she shown any signs of power?"

"Fortunately, no," Vox said with a sigh. The last spy had unexpectedly tapped into her unknown wind powers. Vox's personal torture chamber had taken a hard hit from that, which was why he was currently operating in the windowless spare room.

Hiroyoshi swore under his breath. "Are you positive?"

"Yes. She did go unconscious for no apparent reason when I brought her here, but it could have been shock or stress."

"Possibly astral projection," Hiroyoshi noted, stroking his chin in thought. "I'll ask her about it when she's healed. How much damage?"

"Since you came so early it's not much. Bruises. A couple broken ribs. Welts. Burns. And, my favorite, psychological trauma," Vox stated, giving a disturbing smile.

"Nothing my healers can't handle."

There was a pause. "Why do you need her now?" Vox asked finally.

Hiroyoshi glanced at him, then moved his eyes to Miharu. "This one won't be just another spy, little brother."

Vox's eyebrows went up. "You mean..."

Hiroyoshi nodded. "It's time for our revenge. She'll be training with me, and if she _can_ astral project, it will give us good accessibility to their headquarters."

Vox rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Then don't delay - take her."

Hiroyoshi stooped down as if to collect the girl in his arms, but then stopped and turned around, as if remembering something. "One more thing, Vox."

"Yes, Hiroyoshi?"

A ninja star whizzed through the air, thrown by an expert. It caught its target in the throat. "Dead men tell no secrets," Hiroyoshi said simply. Ignoring his brother's gagging sounds of death, Hiroyoshi collected the unconscious girl in his arms, and walked out the door.

**+ End Chapter Two +  
**

-evil smirk- Hello readers.

This chapter was a short one. I originally had more at the end, with Miharu waking up and such, but I decided to leave that as the beginning for Chapter 3; it would have been too long, even for me. Some may have noticed, I couldn't find a song for this chapter. The point of view changed so often and the moods were so different; it could not be done.

It took so long to write, also. I'm not worried about time, though; I'm writing this completely at my leisure. This fic is my own private one, my little get-away when I can't think of anything to write for other fics. It's very relieving...

I find it so difficult to find suitable names for the characters I see in my head. Any idea where to find Japanese names? Or just words that could pass as names? I'll take anything, I'm getting kind of desperate. Currently, I'm snagging names from some of the mangas and animes I've read/seen. Examples: 'Naota' from FLCL, 'Hojo' from Inu-Yasha, and 'Hideaki' from Kare Kano.

Speaking of names...does 'Hiroyoshi' sound familiar to anyone? I thought of the name of the manga-ka who created Yu Yu Hakusho, Yoshihiro Togashi, and soon Yoshihiro became Hiroyoshi. 'Vox' means 'cry' in Latin, or at least something related to that. I called him that because making people cry (mostly in pain) is what he does best. I got 'Miharu' from some Megeme Japanese Name Generator thing on-line, and it's supposed to mean 'clear sky' or something like that shrug.

Most of the questions from last chapter haven't been answered yet, and some new ones have popped up. Like: Where is Miharu, really? Is she in the hospital bed in her own, native world, or with Vox and Hiroyoshi? What will next chapter bring? You'll just have to wait to find out... And again, I make no promises as to when that will be, for the third chapter is not complete yet. Until then...


End file.
